The Regional Economic Development Corporation of North Central Illinois Promoted a New Executive Director
The Economic Development Corporation of North Central Illinois (EDCNCI) has a new Executive Director. Gina Czubachowski accepted the promotion to Executive Director.
Czubachowski has been with EDCNCI since it commenced in 2016 as the Administrative Manager. Czubachowski has been member of the local chapter, Illinois Valley Society for Human Resource Management as well as the former President for the Ottawa Network of Young eXecutives (ONYX). Previously, she worked as a Business Advisor at the Small Business Development Center at Illinois Valley Community College. She brings more than 10 years of economic development experience. She also holds an MBA and Bachelor of Finance from Illinois State University and graduated from Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC). Czubachowski is North Central Illinois native and is a part-time Business adjunct faculty instructor at IVCC.
Czubachowski most recently graduated from the University of Oklahoma Economic Development Institute (OU EDI) on October 28, 2021 at the OU EDI Fall 2021 session. OU EDI is an intensive 117-hour certificate program which provides a broad spectrum of advanced education for the economic development professional. Mark James, Dean, said, “OU EDI is the premier organization dedicated to training economic development professionals. These graduates represent some of the finest economic development practitioners in the U.S. working to support their local communities.”
OU EDI classes focus on three major core areas including: Business Retention and Expansion, Real Estate, and Credit Analysis, as well as areas of concentration in Marketing, Entrepreneurship, and Managing Economic Development Organization.
During the December EDCNCI Board of Directors meeting, the directors have been reviewing the last five year outcomes and progress and efforts made by the staff to market the region. The board made the decision they would like to promote an internal candidate to be the next leader. EDCNCI Chairman John McCormick stated “We are excited to elevate Gina to Executive Director! Gina has the skills necessary to continue moving our region forward and meet our main objective to bring quality employers to our region. She has been an integral part of EDCNCI since inception and has been rooted in the region and is ready to work with our investors.” The promotion follows the resignation of former president and CEO Mike Kirchhoff.
Although 2021 was challenged by the pandemic, the EDCNCI did receive 105 leads in and of those leads they were able to submit properties for 40 of those leads. EDCNCI Executive Director Czubachowski said “Our organization continues to receive many great project leads; we submit the properties that fit the project requirements. The challenge for our region is responding to leads that want an existing building. Project leads for existing buildings, will turnaround much faster. When it comes to projects seeking land and willing to construct a building, those take more time and due diligence, and we must be patient and persistent with those project leads. Our local properties have generated several site visits during the last five years and while we work
toward a win, site selectors have been to our region and seen our properties and compliment our region and the sites” EDCNCI online presence includes their vibrant website www.northcentraillinois.org. They also manage a page on the social media platform Linkedin.